Frontier
by PsycheDiver
Summary: At the bleeding edge between light and dark, one fireteam puts it all on the line to save civilization.
1. Act01 Chapter01 - Solas

__Venus__  
><em><em>Aphrodite Terra, Ovda Regio<em>_

The sound of distant active volcanoes seemed almost artificially muted so deep in the vast Venusian rainforest. The boom and rumble bounced and distorted off the thick trunks of the local flora so much so that to the uninitiated, it was as if the canopy itself was voicing its displeasure at the foreign presence of a Guardian. However, Solas-3 was anything but uninitiated in the ways of this world.

The Exo walked carefully through the dense growth, taking care to disturb as little as possible. The Warlock knew through research and harrowing experience that while there were far more dangerous things on Venus, even the Fallen scouts learned to fear what naturally lived here. Predatory beasts, as well as violent plants knew the balance of this place, and were quick to attack what seemed out of place.

While the tense peace of this place always intrigued Solas-3, this incursion was for a different purpose. Two days earlier, orbital scans revealed the specific non-baryonic signature of a new Vex conflux being formed. While the majority of Vex activities have focused more on the planet's other continent, their actions have been less predictable since the Black Garden was cleansed of the evil heart and returned to the normal spacetime flow of our universe. While researchers and talking heads back at the City would consider the ramifications of these scans for days, Solas was far more of a hands-on intellectual.

"Wisp," Solas whispered as he placed every step with care on the moss-covered ground. His Ghost materialized a few inches from his shoulder, hovering with him. "How much further?"

"According to our ship's latest low-orbit scans, the neutrino confluence is directly ahead." informed Wisp calmly. Solas-3 slowly dropped to his stomach and began to crawl. In a few feet, he found himself at the lip of a large and deep depression in the land, perhaps created from an ancient celestial impact. A clearing in the canopy let some sunlight in, but the Vex synth-stone structure as it riled and folded into our 3-dimensional brane did far more to light up the space, casting its cold glow not just on the local wildlife but on the several dozen Vex units as well. Solas-3 chose to engage, numerous harpies would lock him down long enough for the goblins and minotaurs to destroy him. The enemy was most certainly attempting to gain a foothold in this new area and was ready to repel any small scouting party, thought Solas-3.

At this point in the reconnaissance mission, Wisp would be keying up the armour's sensor suite, being sure to keep all scans passive while Solas-3 would drop into a trance and seek what the universe was willing only to reveal to one who walks in the light. However, a ping caught both their attention before this could happen.

"Priority Gemini recall order from The Tower." said Wisp, "No further information, but it looks like it's just for us." Solas-3 sighed slightly. It was a low-level fireteam recall, usually used to lure Guardians into non-critical operations. Newer fireteams would usually scoop up these jobs off the general relays to rack up favour with command and others influentials. For this type of recall to be sent specifically to a veteran fireteam was odd.

Wisp grabbed what data it could before Solas-3 cautiously vacated the area. An hour later, his ship auto-extracted him from a bare cliff to deliver him to those who beckon him.


	2. Act01 Chapter02 - Telemica

__Mars__  
><em><em>Elysium Planitia<em>_  
><em><em>West of the Elysium Mons volcano<em>_

The sinister powder brought to bare by a Martian sandstorm could be considered far more dangerous than any Cabal rocket round. Fine enough to get into everything and coarse enough to do a lot of damage once it's there. When whipped about by super-high winds, the sand overloads barriers and clogs up almost every armour system. A Guardian often has an easier time acclimatizing to the hard vacuum and null-gravitational conditions on the Moon. Surviving on Mars is a skill hard-earned.

The storm had passed hours ago, depositing a thick and pristine layer of powder across the plain. As the last vestiges of the tempest bucked against the distant visage of Elysium Mons, a new roar filled the landscape, which heralded the approaching Cabal convoy.

Moving southeast, the convoy stretched as far as the naked eye could see. Thousands of Sand Eaters and hundreds of Harvesters transports and Goliath tanks kept a slow, steady pace across the terrain. Intel suggested they were interested in setting up several logistical holdings in the area.

The Cabal column was slowly moving into the engagement zone, but all Telemica Magna could think about was the sand that was slowly working its way into crevasses that she didn't have names for. Her Titan armour had saved her from more assaults both seen and unseen than she'd be able to count over the years, but this sand would best her, given time. Her fortress-like form, and the dozens of other Guardians she was currently in command of, were all suffering the same silent discomfort, since the only way to conceal the trap from Cabal scouts was the let the storm bury them. It was Telemica's idea. "Creative camouflage", she had called it, and regretted the concept almost instantly.

By charting the course the Cabal would take and forming up Guardians on either side of that path, Telemica's plan was coming together perfectly. The full length of the Cabal formation would be assaulted at once and from all directions. Telemica had to use every iota of influence she'd gained from decades of service and storied victories in the Crucible, but eventually Commander Zavala saw the possible gains outweighed the risks. The Sand Eaters were low on supplies and needed energy and materials to bolster their forces. Operations in Freehold had taken its toll over the years and cracks in their effectiveness were showing more readily.

At her word, the Guardian formation would rise from the rust and fire a united salvo of rockets at the heavy assets, while buried charges would break any Cabal will to respond too quickly. Telemica's heart began to swell with the glory she was about to bring to these Guardians and her Titan order. Perhaps she'd find the Cabal commander. Perhaps she'd make it scream her name over Cabal comms before jamming a shock grenade down its throat. While others spoke of much-needed salvage for the City, Titan Magna only cared to send waves of fear through the Cabal ranks.

"Incoming commands from the Tower, Lady Magna." spoke the meek voice of Squire, her Ghost. Telemica's mind didn't register it. The time for battle had come.


	3. Act01 Chapter03 - Vatyr

__Earth__  
><em><em>Ruins of Old Toronto<em>_

The sun was just cresting over the horizon, but the Awoken hunter Vatyr S'Jet was always hours into his schedule. His Ghost Glitch displayed holographic representations of various traps going through their final automated checks and syncs. Hunter S'Jet was just finishing the reconstruction of his sniper rifle. It was a ritual for him. The pattern of it soothed him.

Harassment, others called it. control an area through guerrilla tactics and make operations in that area undesirable. Vatyr just thought it was wicked fun.

The Fallen House of Exile had recently moved what few Earthbound forces it had to this continent and were currently seeking a place to build a stronghold. Exile was always in dire straights when it came to supplies and infrastructure, and this half-flooded city seemed like a perfect spot to put down some roots and build. Plenty of materials to salvage and old skyscrapers to dock their ketch against for much-needed repair.

Vatyr's keen hunter instincts warned him of movement at street level before his sensors did, even from his perch over 50 stories up in a half-destroyed office tower. Settling into sniping position, he peered down his long-range scope and ramped up the zoom. Yep, 9 Dregs and a Vandal were weaving their way through the street, filtering around the husks of old vehicles. While the main force was busy setting up under the broken spire in the city centre a few kilometers away, this group seemed to be a simple scouting party.

A sly grin formed on Hunter S'Jet's face as his crosshairs settled on the Vandal leader. He took an almost cruel enjoyment from seeing Dregs panic after their commander either died, or ran away in a futile effort to save his own life.

A blinking indicator popped up on his heads-up display. Glitch silently overlaid his analysis along with video from a remote camera feed, showing another scouting party to the north and another to the west. All three were in Vatyr's actionable zone, and therefore existed from this point on solely for his amusement.

Through the armour's neural interface, Vatyr and Glitch concocted a plan: herd all three groups into the same killbox using planted explosives, and pick them off one by one. Each one wondered who was more evil for liking the plan.

The staccato pops of distant explosions echoed through the urban ruins. The party Vatyr had at the end of his rifle barrel looked agitated as their Vandal commander attempted to keep composure. Soon the other two squads came running into the intersection that the first was holding in. Vandals and Dregs screeched, squawked and growled at each other. Vatyr kept telling himself he should learn the Fallen language, but for now he let Glitch do the translating.

"They're pretty rattled, boss. They have no idea what's going on." mused Glitch, sharing in his Guardian's smug amusement. He set off a few other distant charges just to keep them on edge as Vatyr lined up his shots.

Pop, followed by the screaming hiss of a Fallen's essence violently vacating its body through the space where its head used to be. One Vandal down. Pop. Hiss. Another Vandal down with only one left. The Dregs were in a full craze now. Some fired wildly into the surrounding towers while others simply ran. Glitch set off another two charges close to the intersection, one of which vaporized a fleeing Dreg. There was to be no escape from this hidden and wrathful god.

A background beeping caught the hunter's attention as he felled another Dreg that attempted to bug out. "Recall order from the Tower. Priority... Gemini? Must be a mistake."

Vatyr prized himself on having a keen sense of things, and something about this message seemed to be more than what it seemed. With lightning reflexes, he quickly mopped up the last 14 Dregs while letting the last Vandal run back to spread cheery tales of what it was like to be a fish in a barrel. Glitch set the remaining charges on proximity protocol while Vatyr broke down his rifle in the same ritualistic fashion he always did. They'd be back at the Tower before lunch.


	4. Act02 Chapter04 - Should You Choose

__Earth__  
><em><em>The Last City, Caucasus Mountains<em>_  
><em><em>The Tower<em>_

While the common understanding of The Tower by citizens of The City is that it was a giant military installation, to the Guardians who dwelt within it was much more. Over the centuries since its construction and the legitimization of the Vanguard command, Guardians had formed their own culture centered there. Rites, rituals and codes evolved naturally among the demigods that sought to take back what the darkness had stolen.

Vatyr sipped his tea on the steps of the Tower Watch. He found observing ships come and go soothing. The noon sun felt warm on his shaved head as his sunset-orange eyes tracked flyers of various designs. A contented grin formed across his blue-white face as the herbal tea relaxed his body and his mind. He learned a long time ago that one thing a hunter must always seek is the calm before the storm.

Vatyr spotted Telemica exiting Guardian Hall and waved her over. A powerful Titan in and out of battle, she towered over other Guardians who honoured her with a wide berth. The natural intimidation of her tall and powerful physique was offset by her exuberant and reassuring face. Dark chocolate skin etched by combat, intense emerald eyes and blood-red hair set in a way that was attractive but just short enough to not become a hassle. Few were not phased when that scarred visage of confidence and beauty exploded in the fury of battle, but her helm spared most of that.

"Reporting in on your latest glorious victory, no doubt." Vatyr half-joked, grasping her extended right forearm in an age-old sign of greetings among warriors.

"Of course!" laughed Telemica, chest puffed in pride. "The Cabal formations collapsed easier than I expected. If only I had an assistant to fill out these damned reports."

"Or perhaps a bard to sing your praises everywhere you tarried!" joked the Hunter. When it came to battle, Lady Magna's success was so rarely in doubt, Vatyr considered it some cosmic joke played on her foes. By the expression on Telemica's face, it appeared mention of a bard caught her fancy, and suddenly he felt sorry for her Ghost in what would no doubt be his new responsibilities.

Before Vatyr could continue, a Ghost flew over to them from the north. "Hunter S'Jet and Titan Magna. The Speaker wishes to address you both at your earliest convenience." it said before scurrying off.

It was not unheard-of for The Speaker to converse with Guardians, but it was notably rare. The Speaker was often reclusive within his observatory and few wished to trouble him. The general feeling was that since he had the ears of the most powerful people in The City and his concerns were beyond a normal Guardian's ken, it seemed unwise to interrupt.

As the two Guardians entered the northern wing of The Tower and approached the observatory, they spotted the third member of their veteran fireteam waiting at its entrance. Solas-3 starred at the immense machinery that somehow allowed The Speaker to do his work, though starred would be technically incorrect. Solas didn't have eyes, but did indeed see. People often had a hard time conversing with the Exo who had the majority of his face covered with metal. Some dared to ask if he saw through the two black horn-like apparatuses that gave him a pseudo-fantastical look, but he would never answer definitively. It was the first secret of the Warlock built of secrets.

"Ho there, Solas" spoke Telemica as they reached him. They didn't worry about surprising him, as they knew Solas saw things beyond what normal eyes could.

Solas turned his head slightly in their direction to address them, his indigo backlight seemed to be a visual calming agent to his words, "We should not keep The Speaker waiting." before walking in. The other two followed.

At the top of the single curved flight of stairs, The Speaker busied himself with holographic displays. No doubt the latest scans of The Traveler. The Speaker turned to address the fireteam when they approached. "Ah. Yes. Good. Thank you for returning so quickly, Guardians. I have need of you. There is a small band of humans living in old Italy. Western Sicily. They need to be extracted and brought to The City with as much speed and as little attention as possible."

"Why not just send a transport with regular militia?" Telemica asked as respectfully as possible. Gathering refugees was not something Guardians often did, especially veteran fireteams.

"The darkness is swirling around a point of light. It must be saved." said The Speaker in his usually cryptic fashion. The answer didn't satisfy the Titan, but before she could press, Vatyr touched her shoulder, signalling her to pause.

"As you wish, Speaker." said Solas with a small bow. The other two followed suit and exited.

As the three Guardians made their way to the hangers, Telemica's patience was wearing thin. "Do you two want to fill me in?" she asked as she followed.

Solas was ahead but didn't slow his pace or turn when addressing her. "The Speaker does not want this mission to be high-profile, but it is critical nonetheless. Gears turn. There is much more at play here than we realize."

"Our dossiers were on his screens as well. Fireteam history, psychological assessments... he's chosen us specifically for this mission, whatever it may be. It also explains why this mission was given such a low priority but was assigned to us. He's hiding the operation in plain sight." Vatyr interjected.

Telemica nodded in understanding. It put her on-edge to not have all the available information, but a soldier followed orders. At least she knew to expect more than what was on the surface. "Whatever it is, Fireteam Warden will be triumphant!" she exclaimed with a raised fist. Vatyr found her confidence reaffirming, and knew Solas did as well, regardless of the lack of reaction from him.


	5. Act02 Chapter05 - Concerto

__Earth__  
><em><em>Old Italy, Western Sicily<em>_

The personnel transport bucked hard against the turbulence. A storm was moving into the area over the Pacific ocean. Vatyr hated turbulence. Put him in a ship approaching the speed of light and his constitution was solid, but put him on a rocking boat and you're likely to find him tossing his lunch overboard. Most Awoken had the same affliction. Vatyr could not wait until he was back on solid ground as he adjusted his armour's settings in an attempt to calm his stomach.

In contrast, Telemica slept sitting up, and Solas was so still in his seat that you'd be forgiven for thinking the synthetic was simply off.

"Visual on the landing site" announced the pilot over the intercom. "This storm will likely get a lot worse before it gets better. Once we land, it'll be difficult to take off until it clears."

Telemica arose and checked the ship's sensors. The shoreline was littered with various structures predating the Golden Age. What little intel The Speaker had provided said the refugees would be found here. Hiding. Hiding from what, Telemica wondered. No Fallen houses or bandit gangs were reported to operate in the area.

The ship jostled harder this time. The storm would no-doubt be a full-blown hurricane in hours. The pilot had little choice but to put her down at the first opportunity. Scans of the surrounding buildings showed several dozen heat signatures coming from the beachside buildings, and landed a few meters away from the one with the most signatures.

Under the pitch black and angry sky, Telemica banged on the large door to what looked like an ancient chapel. "We mean you no harm! We bring food, medicine and safety! Please let us in!" she announced loudly enough for those inside to hear over the howling winds. It took a few more announcements for the doors to open.

Guns, some old enough to be in a museum were leveled on the fireteam as they slowly entered with hands in the air and helms off. Vatyr instantly counted 56 human refugees in this chapel alone, with at least 10 of them being armed with more than knives and sharp implements. Solas was the last to enter and he seemed to change the energy of the room slightly. Vatyr guessed they didn't encounter many Exo out here.

Telemica rolled the large sack of offerings from her shoulder and held it out at arms-length. "As promised. I hope these help. We only mean to talk."

An elderly woman hidden behind the altar rose to her feet and walked toward the guardians down the centre isle without reservation. Using simple hand gestures she commanded one of the armed men to take the sack. He did, and after a quick inspection handed it to the woman, though the woman's eyes never left those of Telemica's. "Speak." She commanded.

"We're Guardians of the Last City. It's a place where you and your people can be safe and comfortable. We're here to transport you there." Telemica announced.

"And if we decline your offer?" the matriarch asked defiantly.

"We're not going to abduct you, but if you'll let us explain, I am sure you'll want to come with us." responded Vatyr. The Matriarch's gaze seemed to change when looking at the Awoken. Had she never seen one before, or what it something else? Tense minutes past before the Matriarch waved her hands in the air, signalling the guards to lower their arms and allow the Guardians entry. A woman bolted to the Matriarch's side and was handed the sack, which was promptly emptied and surveyed.

A tense hour later, Telemica, the Matriarch and her advisers were discussing the situation at hand in a corner room while Vatyr was ogled by the rest. Children prodded his armour, poked his luminescent face and tugged at his gold-white cloak. A few of the maidens even giggled and laughed in the corner while stealing glances at him, and Vatyr took enough amusement from it that he stole a few right back.

Solas was right by the altar, taking in what was obviously the ritual centre of the room. A statue of a man nailed to a cross fascinated him. No doubt part of a long-lost religion. The face of the man was of agony, but not pain. There was also something else he was observing: the small girl hiding behind the altar. "You can come out of hiding. I am not a threat to you." he said softly.

She arose slowly. She was wrapped up completely in grey cloth with not a single part of her exposed. Even more curious, Solas could not see through the seemingly simple vestments. "Perhaps I am the threat." spoke the girl in a voice that could not be older than eight years.

"Perhaps. I suggest a truce for the time being." responded Solas. Normally such a conversation between a Guardian and a child would be comical, but there was something about this child that told Solas she was being dead serious.

She stood there for a moment observing the Exo before walking the main group. "Night comes. Be vigilant." she whispered.

An explosion rocked the chapel. Vatyr rushed towards a boarded-up window and peered between the boards to see the transport in pieces and flames. Telemica rushed out with the Matriarch and others, donning her helm. A new and angry howling rose over the wind, and fireteam Warden understood why a simple militia team couldn't handle this mission.

The Hive were upon them.


	6. Act02 Chapter06 - Battaglia

__Earth__  
><em><em>Old Italy, Western Sicily<em>_

"We've got incoming!" hollered Telemica. Vatyr and Solas could sense the familiar excitement in her voice. Of course Telemica's focus was the safety of the refugees, but she savoured combat like others enjoyed fine food or drink. She quickly posted herself by the front doors as others created whatever barricades they could. The sleek form of a Suros Regime auto rifle formed in her hands.

Vatyr leaped up on to a thick wooden beam in the centre of the ceiling. Taking a crouching position, motioned for his A.1F19X-Ryl scout rifle to appear in one hand and Scout to materialize in the other. "I'm going to need as many swarm grenades as you can give me. Devote all the armour resources to it except for the cloak." he commanded as he faded from sight. Scout began to zoom around the open space of the hall, depositing exploding nanobots that would swarm upon any Hive in proximity. In a few short seconds the space was filled with nearly a hundred of the small buzzing points of light.

Solas readied his hand cannon "Heaven Can Wait" and took up a defensive position behind the altar and pulled the mysterious girl under it. "Stay here." He said shortly.

"I can help!" protested the girl, even as the sounds of approaching Hive intensified.

Solas paused for a moment. "Yes. You can. Just not here or now. For now it is my place to protect you. Will you allow that?" he asked with a hand on her shoulder. Solas didn't yet understand the intricacies of it, but he knew this little soul was at the centre of all this, and had been for a longer time than just this night.

"Yes." The girl sighed in resignation. "Please. Thank you."

The screams from outside stopped as the front door suddenly bucked hard. Trigger fingers applied pressure. Muscles tensed. Breathing stopped.

Stained glass and wood exploded from the sides of the room as Thralls leaped into the chamber. Their cries were short lived as they were shredded by a cloud of buzzing swarm grenades. Scout continued to zip around the air, replenishing what he could.

The front door bucked again and a sense of panic began to rise. "There are far more demons out there than other nights!" cried one of the armed men, his flight instincts overpowering his fighting sense. Another slam against the door. It would soon give out.

"Look to the Guardians, my children! They will keep us safe!" announced The Matriarch to her kin. Telemica took the queue and raised a fist into the air, charging it with a burst of solar light that spread over her body as she let out a bloody roar. She knew many of these people would die tonight, but if any were to survive, they needed to have hope first. Giving her troops hope was something Lady Magna was renowned for.

The door exploded into tinder as the hulking form of rage known as a Hive Knight entered the chapel, leading a flood of Acolytes and Thralls. Telemica leaped out from behind the battlements and sundered the Knight's armoured skull with a massive light-charged flying haymaker punch. The knight crumpled and evaporated as Telemica landed and began to unload on the others.

"Fight! The night will be ours!" bellowed Telemica. A hail of bullets joined hers as more Hive poured through the doorway. Squire materialized and began pulsing charges of arc light into the wall of enemies, hoping to impress his goddess of war.

Vatyr supported Telemica with precision fire from his perch, but he knew Scout's efforts to cover the area with swarming nanobots would give out soon. Thralls entered the fray via blown windows as fast as the holes would allow.

From the rear, Solas' massive hand cannon rounds helped to hold the space as his warlock mind raced. He could see that The Hive were being attracted to something, but he couldn't sense what. Normally his sight, which pierced the veils between this reality and others, could spot such a thing instantly, but he could find nothing. The only oddity was the child, who seemed to be encased in a cloak of nothing. Not invisible, but a vacuum of existence. No light or darkness seemed to interact with her.

Before Solas could continue that train of thought, a Hive Wizard ripped its way into the spacetime above the altar and dove down. At Solas? No, he realized. He dropped his weapon and brought his hands up, slamming his void light against the darkness of the intruder. When a Wizard and a Warlock dueled each other, it was a battle of titanic minds wielding the essences of universes, rather than tools throwing bullets and explosives. They didn't attempt to simply destroy each other, but unexist their foe.

Solas had engaged in such duels before, but this Wizard was different. Its mind was deeper and blacker than anything the Warlock had encountered before. Massive. So deep and cold it appeared limitless. Energies spiraled between the two but the Wizard was closing in. A skittering laugh came from the monster, as if to taunt the Exo's inevitable failure.

Knights burst through the walls that once held the main doors and slammed into forward barricades, forcing Telemica to throw up a barrier of light. It would hold but not for long. The refugees cowered within the bubble, expending the last of their ammo. Vatyr's swarm grenades had been used up and Scout had retreated back into the Hunter's armour, exhausted. Vatyr switched to his Defiant Gravity-A machine gun, and used an ammo synthesis module, but his reserves would not hold long.

"Enough!" screamed the little girl. Solas suddenly noticed she was bravely standing beside him, holding the hand cannon he dropped with both her hands. As she pointed it at the Wizard, the gun appeared immense in her small hands. Surely firing it would snap her wrists, but before Solas could protest, she pulled the trigger.

Everything went white.


	7. Act02 Chapter07 - Coda

__Earth__  
><em><em>Old Italy, Western Sicily<em>_

The sun was shining.

It was the first thing the Guardians and refugees noticed. The sun cast its warmth as if it was a normal summer afternoon. No rain. No clouds. No wind.

The second thing they all noticed was that they were lying upon the faint remains of the chapel. A ring of splinters and sticks was all was left of the quaint structure. A crater existed where walls once stood, and the only thing in the crater were people.

The Guardians were the first to wake up. Vatyr scouted the shoreline while Telemica saw to the surprisingly intact refugees. Some died in the battle and many were hurt, but whatever ended the conflict didn't seem to cause any additional injuries.

Solas walked inland towards a cliff overlooking the beach. There he found the little girl, wrapped in a blanket. As she starred out over the water with trepidation written on her face, Solas began putting the pieces together.

She turned to him, her elvish Awoken features glowing faintly under the blanket. A tear finding its way down her cheek. "I don't understand. I don't understand any of it. Matriarch Hera just insisted on keeping me safe. Always safe. She would have died for me, sacrificed the others for me."

Solas saw the hand cannon on the ground next to her, its barrel pealed back like a banana all the way to the cartridge. The handle apparently melted by intense heat until the impression of the girl's hand was sunk deep into the metal. "Your gift makes you a target."

"I led them away from danger, to safe places. I could sense which way to go. They think I'm some sort of blessing, but I'm a curse." She said, choking back her sadness and slowly holding up her Ghost to Solas as if proving her point. "Even this little one couldn't protect me. He gave me my shroud and then just... turned off."

Wisp materialized and flew over to the girl's ghost, bathing it in light the colour of love and family. Solas could hear the cheers coming from below. The refugees must think they were saved from demons by angels. It was not the first time those cut off from humanity saw the world in such archaic terms. Such is the way of things when the truth of The Traveler's light and the Golden Age becomes myth and legend. In time they'd come to know the truth.

"It is not dead, but the light within it is nearly gone. I hypothesize that bringing back one such as this required a vastly larger expenditure of light than usual. It can be rejuvenated with time and care." Wisp said, enveloping the girl's Ghost in light. In seconds, its little eye blinked blearily back to life. The girl broke down in tears, thanking Solas and embracing him. The Exo was not accustom to physical affection, but did his best. He saw this girl's light clearly now, and it was bright and lovely.

__Earth  
>The Tower<br>One Week Later__

The Speaker has sensed the girl, named Angela, coming into the world some time ago, but because of the stealth shroud her Ghost had given her for protection, he could not track her down. He knew her Ghost was somehow incapacitated due to the lack of communication, and that The Hive were sniffing her out. If The Speaker had sent a large group of Guardians, it would have tipped off the enemy too quickly. Conversely, if a high-priority call was made, Vanguard command would have likely requested proof and other red tape. The Speaker needed a small team to get the job done without drawing any attention.

The girl was important. After all, she was to be the new Speaker.

Angela's unique gifts gave her a unique connection to The Traveler and its light that was beyond that of a normal Guardian. While Speakers were generally long-lived by the day's standards, they needed to train apprentices, yet worthy candidates were few and far between. These precious few lived with the current Speaker and took over duties when the master died or was otherwise unfit to continue.

Word of Angela spread fast. Her young age and power were certainly noteworthy, but she'd also be the first Awoken Speaker. That fact alone had far-reaching political ramifications.

Solas found Angela standing on the outer walkway by The Speaker's great machine. She wore white robes and a white metallic headband denoting her place and status, but they didn't seem to suit her just yet. She was staring at The Traveler as Solas joined her.

"Matriarch Hera and my people seem to be integrating well." She said with a sigh.

"Yes." Solas responded calmly.

"I know. I'm not supposed to think of them as 'my people' any more. All under The Traveler be under my care and guidance at some point. Still, it feels good to focus on a small group for now."

Solas said nothing. The silence held for some time.

"I never thanked you for all you and your team did. We'd all be dead if it wasn't for you."

"You saved us. You. Never forget that. It is within you to change to course of our civilization, and others. I, and all Guardians exist to serve you"

Angela nodded, a smile meeting a tear at the corner of her innocent face. Her right hand reached up to find his left. "You'll visit?"

"Of course" said Solas in a caring tone that surprised them both, yet didn't.

As darkness continued to seek paths of destruction, the sun began to set on the last bastion of a civilization that one little girl was charged to lead under a dormant god, and one synthetic who would die to protect her.


	8. Act03 Chapter08 – Twist of Fate

__Venus  
>Forward Base Lambda<em>_

If the Martian city of Freehold represented the public advancement of The Golden Age, then surely the Ishtar Collective represented the scientific paragon of that time. The best minds humanity had ever crafted did there work under the Collective's watch, and surely a great wealth of it survived The Collapse.

Over the last few months, Vanguard Command has applied increased forces to Venus theatres. The goal was to put pressure on the now-weakened Vex and keep them under wraps while City forces dug in and took control of key assets.

The Fallen House of Winter represented an entirely different problem. Arguably the biggest, strongest and most aggressive of the Fallen houses, Winter was present during The Collapse and has been picking at the bones of our past for a very long time. Vanguard Command had found that even though operations to eliminate key members of their leadership- not the least of which was their Kell, Draksis - were successful, their ability to project force on Venus has only increased.

Telemica was not considering strategy. At the moment she wanted nothing more than to put her fist through the table, but her Titan honour wouldn't allow such a display against a superior. Commander Zavala had come to Venus to inspect the ongoing operations there, and would no doubt be leaving in a more dour mood than usual. Those that he appointed to take control of the planet were using Guardians as regular soldiers, holding rigid lines and waiting for orders.

Over the years, the Consensus built a regular military so that Guardians would be more available for special missions of greater import. Over time, power brokers within the bureaucracy weaved Vanguard Command into that military structure just enough that Guardians could be used in regular deployments. It was a situation Zavala, Cayde-6 and Ikora Rey had yet to find a solution for.

_Guardians make their own fate... _Telemica thought over and over in her head as useless yes-men buzzed around the Commander. How would he be able to make proper choices if all his advisers fed him nothing but half-truths and placative lies?

Zavala requested that Telemica attend the meeting in the cramped prefabricated bunker. He'd look at her every so often as the others spoke. She'd check her posture and try to look like she was honestly considering the empty words of these gnats in uniform.

_Guardians make their own fate..._

Her fist clenched and relaxed.

_Guardians make their own fate..._

She tried to focus on overhead readouts that should be showing all the lives lost due to bad command decisions but instead heralded unimportant gains.

_Guardians make their own fate..._

She suddenly noticed Zavala was ignoring his lackeys. His eyes were affixed to a map showing one of Winter's ketches. It was once Kell Draksis' seat of power, but since influence had shifted after his death, it was just one more ship in their fleet.

Zavala raised a finger and pointed at display, triggering a holographic representation of the area to appear above the centre table. The room lit up with images, reports and parameters as the ketch grew. "And what of this?" Zavala interrupted with, moving to the table. "Why has a major Fallen asset like a command-level ketch been designated a low priority?" He grabbed a report frame from midair as if it was on a physical clipboard. "This report suggests a new Pra-Kell has taken it over, and is perhaps even constructing a new subprime Servitor."

Excuses rang out. Guardians couldn't assemble in great enough numbers, in proper formations and quickly enough to mount a classical frontal assault on such a hardened target. Excuses. Blame shifted to Guardians in the latest of half-veiled efforts to bring them more firmly under boot. Zavala's eyebrow raised at that and his eyes found Telemica's, knowing her Titan honour was just as much on the line as his. "What do you think, Guardian?"

Telemica's face exploded in a predatory grin that would strike fear into even the most stalwart foe. That was why Zavala had asked her to be there. Zavala needed a real Guardian victory, and he knew fireteam Warden would deliver. Her voice rang out so that even those working outside would hear her call to arms, "Guardians make their own fate!" she roared before charging out the door and into the Venusian midday rain.

The officers protested. Zavala barely cared to hear them.

Solas and Vatyr were under a tent tending to their own equipment. Vatyr whistled a tune as he calibrated some of his armour's tactile feedback routines. "You may want to finish up. We're about to embark on another ill-advised endeavour." said Solas as he and Wisp finished up a report. Before Vatyr could ask what he was talking about, Telemica joined them, giddy with excitement.

"I've got our next mission!" Telemica proclaimed.

"Do tell." responded Vatyr, who now knew what Solas was warning of and that the next words out of Telemica's grinning face would be tantamount to suicide.

Telemica's fist clenched and rose with assured victory, "We're going to steal a ketch from the House of Winter."


	9. Act03 Chapter09 – Higher Ground

__Venus__

"I shouldn't have to say it again." piped up Vatyr.

"I'm betting you will will anyway." groaned Telemica.

"Indeed I will!" " feigning indigence this time with a slap on the knee. "This is a bad idea."

"Pray tell, which part of the plan are you referring to?" asked Solas. "The concept of stealing a huge interstellar ship filled with Fallen elite? The fact that it is just the three of us alone and with no backup attempting this madness?"

"Nope. None of that bothers me in the slightest." corrected Vatyr. "It's the halo drop. I hate drops." The small transport shuddered slightly to flavour his comments as it broke through the highest layers of the planet's thick atmosphere. Before the Golden Age, Venus was covered in a dense fog caused by a runaway greenhouse effect. Terraforming efforts over hundreds of years made Venus hospitable to life of a more human variety. While you could now see the surface from orbit, that didn't ease Vatyr's nerves at all.

"I'll never understand how an Awoken could be afraid of heights." teased Telemica.

"We don't make a habit out of jumping out of our ships and dropping tens of thousands of meters." rebuked Vatyr, checking his armour's seals for the fourth time. "It's bad for your health."

The ketch's location was originally discovered via an old mine entrance, but subsequent incursions have forced the Fallen to heavily fortify that route. There was no chance for three guardians to pass through undetected. Stealth and speed would be key, as the target could literally fly away at any moment. While the idea for a low-orbit drop directly to the hull was Solas' idea, Telemica was all too eager to enact it. Optical camouflage would hide their decent from upward eyes and Solas would utilize some intricate arc light to catch them on landing.

A blinking yellow light in the hold notified them that the air was being vented out, which changed to a solid red as the rear door opened. Fireteam Warden stood in single file as Venus filled their view, her curvature and terminus proclaiming her majesty. Telemica wanted to take point, but as Solas was the only thing keeping this trip from ending prematurely, he stood in front.

The red light began to blink. Once. Twice. Thrice. Green light. Training took over and three Guardians gave themselves to gravity.

Being exactly on-target was beyond critical for the team's survival, not to mention the mission's success, so each Ghost took over the body positioning and micro-controls of each Guardian's armour. Wisp, Glitch and Squire had to put them down mere meters from each other, which was a task not possible without their immense computational capabilities.

Vatyr and Solas couldn't hear it, but were certain of the terrifying grin that must now be on Telemica's face.

As soon as the trio broke through cloud cover, small strapped-on packs on their chests opened up and thin meshes of optical filaments deployed to cover their fronts, mimicking the view of the sky behind the descending warriors and rendering them at least partially invisible. Vatyr could have used his armour's cloaking systems, but as he was now unable to see himself falling faster than the speed of sound, he found he actually calmed a bit.

Of course, Solas could see through the mesh. Wisp gave him the landing target through their neural interface that the three Ghosts would put the Guardians down on, but it was up to the Warlock to land them safely.

5000 meters. 4000 meters. 3000 meters. Solas began to form arc light bubbles around his team, weaving magnetic lines through them and the metallic body of the ketch below.

2000 meters. 1000 meters. The team screamed past the point where parachutes would have worked if they had them. The bubbles began to coalesce. The camo mesh burned away as the shells became nearly opaque, but Vatyr still got a quick view of the rapidly approaching landing site, sending his heart into his throat.

500 meters. 100 meters. The Guardians could feel their skin ignite with arc light as their armour did all it could to keep them from blacking out due to rapid deceleration.

50. 10. 1. Three solid balls of lightning touched down like feathers on the hull of the massive ship, then vanished quickly as they grounded out along the hull. Touchdown.

No time to think or breathe. The three Ghosts materialized and quickly cut a hole in the hull as the Guardians ran quick diagnostics, made sure they were not spotted and armed themselves.

A round slab of hull was silently levitated out and Vatyr bent down inverted into the hole, 'Heaven Can Wait' hand cannon raised. As expected, they were right over a service gantry. No guards. Vatyr dropped in silently, followed by his team.

Glitch zoomed over quickly to an interface panel and hacked in. "No alarms triggered. I'm tapped in, but I can't take control from here." The other two Ghosts replaced the hull plate so the intrusion wouldn't be obvious. "I've got the layout." she said as she displayed it holographically for the team. "Command and control is in the centre of the ship, engineering is closer to the engines and the hanger is on the ventral side." Icons appeared to represent they locations.

"The Pra-Kell will be in C&C and the subprime Servitor will be in engineering. If either one tips the other off to the attack, we're finished. They'll need to be attacked simultaneously, which means we'll have to split up." said Telemica as icons for those targets were placed. "I'll go after the Pra-Kell. Solas, you can match any Servitor. Vatyr you'll need to back him up."

"Sure thing, but what about the Pra-Kell's guards and other Fallen" asked Vatyr.

"I have a plan. Take control of engineering as quickly as you can, then come back me up." said Telemica with calm confidence as she summoned her 'Suros Regime' auto rifle.

Vatyr nodded. The three Ghosts reintegrated into their Guardians, and with a quick nod between them, the fireteam began their journey deeper into the Fallen ship.


	10. Act03 Chapter10 – Terminal Logic

__Venus  
>House of Winter Ketch Simiks-Fel<br>Engineering section__

Rumor has it that Winter's Prime Servitor was destroyed long ago in a battle involving some of the first Guardians. Since then, While the House's resources have always been vast by Fallen standards, lost Servitors were not something easily replaced. A form of synthetic life all their own, they needed to be cultivated and nurtured. Grown, in a fashion. Such a thing took time and resources not readily available to the Fallen, and there was no assurances that a Prime would arise from the dozens of precious Servitors being tended even under the care of skilled priests.

Solas could feel a Subprime Servitor nearby. As beings born of void light, their very nature sends vibrations through the fabric of spacetime. Their signatures were unique to a Warlock sensitive to such forces.

"I've search Winter's database. The Subprime has been designated Suviks-2 and the Pra-Kell's name is Plasis. The Subprime appears to be performing all the roles of a Prime for Winter, but has yet to undergo its final metamorphosis." said Wisp over the interface. "It could be a matter of days before Winter becomes a much larger threat."

"I suppose it is good timing on Commader Tzu's part. He can always trust Telemica to obliterate a crucial target in grand fashion." retorted Solas.

"Not unlike a bomb..." quipped the Ghost. Solas knew Wisp held a bit of satirical disdain for Titans and Hunters. Leaving their little lights together to bandy about and tout the Guardians they are bonded to was a source of amusement for the fireteam.

Solas stayed crouched, separated from the main engineering section of the ketch by a vented grate. Vatyr had gone ahead under cloak and was systematically clearing the engineering section of Fallen.

The room was a vast and poorly-lit chamber filled with immense spacetime-bending machines and crisscrossing walkways. Vatyr used the zero-G functions of his armour to traverse these walkways inverted and unnoticed. He flowed from target to target, eliminating them silently by sliding his blade into the back of their necks in a flash. The surgical attack instantly incapacitated the Fallen, but didn't have the flashy explosion that accompanies taking their heads clean off. Each dispatched foe was helpless and limp as their ether slipped out.

When Vatyr was relatively sure the room was clear of softer targets, he dispatched Glitch to interface with the main engine controls that were located high above the floor. Glitch would attempt to lockdown until the next phase of the plan she and the other Ghosts had devised.

Vatyr found himself an elevated position to cover both his Ghost and the newly located target. Far down below in a large nest of computers, cables and other unrecognizable devices all woven together hovered the Subprime Servitor, Suviks-2. It sat there, exposing its inner workings to the bed of technology it lay in, tendrils of etheric energy everywhere. it pulsed with a burden Solas knew well as Vatyr relayed back video.

"It's preparing to become a true Prime." said Wisp. "We need to act immediately."

"No." Solas said, obviously engrossed in the site. "This is something that happens once in many lifetimes. We stand to benefit much more if we allow it to happen and observe."

"We'll have to fight a fully-fledged Prime." Vatyr stated as fact, his voice not betraying his feelings one way or another.

"We can handle it. The gains outweigh the risks." said Solas without pause. His confidence unwavered as he focused on a new task. The crawlway was just large enough to allow him to sit in a full-lotus position as he dropped his mind out of the physical world and focused himself his uncanny Warlock senses.

Vatyr lay there cloaked as a Fallen Archon Priest entered the room, followed by dozens of Vandals, Servitors, and the Pra-Kell, Plasis. Even though the appearance of such strong foes should have worried the Hunter, it didn't. Their presence here meant Telemica was not engaging them alone elsewhere. An Archon Priest being on the ship however did increase the risk ahead substantially.

Glitch relayed newly mined data from the database she was interfacing with. "Confirmed Archon Priest. Goes by the name Mehsor. Vanguard has a pretty substantial bounty out on this one."

Plasis was enormous, perhaps larger than the Priest. If he had not already taken control of the House of Winter, he would be very soon. The Subprime took notice as the Pra-Kell approached the nest and knelt in front of it, the Priest behind him. As the other Fallen surrounded the nest, Mehsor began weaving ether-infused void light around all the participants. Solas could tell these were pathways or conduits, but he was unsure what their purpose was.

The nest suddenly surged to life and slowly encapsulated the Suviks-2 like a cocoon, lifting into the air. Metallic tendrils shot out of the cocoon and sped through the conduits, impacting into all the participants except for the Pra-Kell and Priest. Vatyr heard Fallen screams before their bodies fell apart one by one and Servitor shells dropped lifelessly to the ground.

"Of course. Sacrifices." said Wisp as the cocoon's tendrils retracted.

The cocoon began to writhe violently as Mehsor poured vast amounts of void light into it through Plasis in front of him. It grew and grew until it was a solid mass of violent energies. Suddenly the shell burst open with a dull thump sound that seemed to be heard not by the ears but by the soul.

A Prime Servitor was born.

It loomed massive and menacing, its body molten metal hate. It stared at the Pra-Kell and Archon Priest, still cracking with void light. Its ruby red eye glowed hot. The Archon waved his hands and weaved new conduits, connecting the Pra-Kell to the Prime and the Prime to the Priest. Mehsor and Plasis' bodies lifted from the ground and became suspended in front of Suviks-2, which was clearly in a partially manic state.

Solas could see it all. The Prime needed to be bound. Leashed. The trinity of the Prime, Archon Priest and no-doubt what was about to become a true Kell was a power base from which the greatest Fallen houses found their strength and influence. Tendrils of ether wrapped around the three, intermingling their very essences and causing the Prime Servitor's eye to cool. Suviks-2's body lurched open, revealing strange mechanisms and metallic organs. From these, ether poured into the Priest and Pra-Kell, causing their bodies to grow and strain under the new vigor they shared.

"I've learned much. Now we need a plan of attack." said Solas, coming out of his trance state.

Vatyr cycled through his arsenal list and was about to agree, if not for the booming battlecry of Telemica from above as she fell terminally on the Fallen monsters like an arc light comet.


	11. Act03 Chapter11 – Dead of Winter

__Venus  
>House of Winter Ketch Simiks-Fel<br>Engineering section__

As Telemica charged through the ship's corridors, she didn't stop to engage the Fallen crew she encountered. The Titan simply ran through them, letting them break upon her like calm waves on a beach, forgotten a moment later. When she found her path intersecting the engineering section across a high-up gantry and spotted the ritual far below, she didn't think that the other members of fireteam Warden were nearby. She only thought how truly epic a story she would tell when she annihilated a Kell, a Servitor Prime and an Archon Priest in one meteoric strike. Without a moment's hesitation she vaulted from the walkway and fell to her glory.

It was five minutes after impact, and she was still surprised that her daring maneuver had barely injured the enemy. She grappled with the Kell named Plasis, whirling with him in a violent cyclone of close-quarters combat. Her advanced knowledge of strikes, locks and holds was surely being tested by the four-armed giant.

Immediately after the Titan's drop, Mehsor and Suviks-2 attempted to get to a more secure location. Already perched in a perfect sniping position, Vatyr fired a few shots at them in an effort to block the escape and separate them. Suviks-2 began to blink-teleport rapidly away, hoping the Archon would follow but knowing its first concern was its own safety. Unfortunately, as Mehsor began to hunt for the hidden sniper, the Servitor Prime found itself face-to-face with Solas.

Telemica and Plasis traded blows and evaded each other's attempts at takedowns. The fight was too close and too fast to make use of any weapons other than those of their own forms. Plasis had tried to use his long blade, but Telemica had caught the edge between her palms and snapped it in half. Both knew Plasis had the advantage with two more arms and at least twice the weight of the Guardian. The Titan had already taken some serious blows and her armour was telling her of broken bones and internal bleeding while it tried to keep her moving.

The Kell grabbed his opponent and lifted the Titan over his head with the intent on either throwing her across the room or breaking her spine across his knee, but a massive hammer-fist to the back of the head disoriented him enough for the Telemica to drop down on his back, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around its upper torso. Plasis vaulted stories high into the air, coming down on his back and crushing Telemica thunderously underneath, but limbs augmented with field drivers and myofiber muscles continued to tighten around the Fallen. Armour began to crack and ether began to escape, causing the last thoughts of the Kell to be of panic before his head popped off and his lifeforce fled his body. A few minutes later, a hearty laugh came from under the dead armor of the Kell, still heavy enough to pin the injured Titan.

Solas and the Servitor blinked in and out of existence so rapidly, one could be excused for considering them tricks of light. Blasts of void light fired from the synthetic lifeform's eye at Solas but never came close to finding a target. Solas was smaller and much faster. He knew the Servitor Prime was still weak from the evolution that just took place and would want to escape in order to recuperate. Solas cut off escape paths that Suviks tried to use, while also herding it into a boxed in section of engineering and keeping it on edge with flashy but random attacks.

As soon as the Servitor Prime found itself caged not just by walls but with its own terror, it lashed out with a mechanical scream as its body opened. Ten metal spears each almost as long as Solas was tall launched from its inner workings and flew into the cavernous room, quickly sweeping thin rays of arc light from their tips and attempted to slice Solas into small pieces. The Exo moved as fast as he could, creating dozens of afterimages in his wake. These spears were almost as fast as the Warlock was but only just. In minutes the room began to fall apart after getting shredded by the Servitor's arc beams and the shockwaves that Solas left in his wake.

Suddenly Solas vanished entirely. Minutes passed. Suviks couldn't figure out if it had sliced the Guardians into bits, buried him under rubble or scared him away. The spears returned to the main body just as Solas' blinked into existence a step away from its huge eye. His hand charged with light and shaped like an arrowhead, he impaled the huge construct, driving himself into it up to his shoulder. The Servitor wailed and thrashed as its internal balances of energy were sent wild, tearing itself apart from the inside out. The Warlock drew out what energy he could in order to keep the Prime from recovering, but they both knew it was too late. Violent torrents of ether and light tore Suviks' body apart, ending in an explosion that obliterated what was left of that section of engineering.

Solas appeared on a nearby platform, having blinked away at the last moment. The warlock had absorbed what he could of the Prime's own ether, and with it, some of its knowledge. It was officially a forbidden technique among the arcane orders, but the more praxic guardians were known to bend the rules as often as they bent the universe. The encounter had left him disoriented, however. His body surrounded by a mote of ether as his mind dove into new resources. Solas simply didn't have the capability to notice Mehsor behind him.

The Archon was in a blind rage after seeing the Servitor Prime destroyed, ready to bring the pandemonium of energy he held up in his hands down on the Exo. Vatyr had evaded the Archon a while ago and was watching Solas' back from afar when the saw the Archon appear. Never taking his eyes from his scope, he formed a void shell of a bullet in his hand and filled it with as much solar light as he could before placing it in the breach of his sniper rifle. The Hunter closed the breach and fired the light-bullet at the back of Mehsor's head. The shot echoed through the entire ship and off the walls of the cavern it sat in.

When the star-bright bullet encountered the helmet of the House of Winter Archon Priest, the energy within expanded and encapsulated the entire target in a huge ball of blue-white plasma that resembled a chaotic star several meters in radius. The event was so explosive that it sent Solas flying, tumbling to another platform. If one could listen past the deafening roar of the plasma ball, one would have experienced the last screams of the Priest as the matter that made up his body was turned into fuel for nuclear fusion, sustaining the mini-sun and melting anything nearby for a few seconds before vanishing like an extinguished candle.

Vatyr made his way over to help the dazed Solas, then the pair freed an injured but still giddy Telemica from under the remains of her foe.

"Now what, fearless one?" asked Vatyr, aiming the question at Telemica. "We've accomplished the near-impossible."

"Now? Now we collect our prize. Squire?" Telemica called her Ghost into being.

"Yes, my goddess?"

"You and the other Ghosts take control of the main engineering controls. Lock out all other control access on the ship and lock down every compartment. Give me control of this ship. I'm taking it." commanded the Titan.

Glitch was already in the process of dominating the ship's systems. Wisp materialized and followed Squire to Glitch's location.

"I hope they can pull this off." murmured Vatyr.

"A little faith goes a long way." offer Solas, who sat on the ground to rest. "Our little lights will come through for us."

All over the ship, screens went dark and doors slammed sealed. Amazingly the battles that the Guardians had initiated had not damaged the ship enough to keep it from flight. Engines roared to life as anti-grav generators came online. The ship tore itself from the moorings anchoring it to the cavern and lifted into the sky.

"Set course for the city. Send word that we're on route." commanded Telemica with arms crossed and head held high.

"My lady, we have ships incoming. Fallen. Skiff-class. They're locking weapons on us." said Squire. A nearby screen offered the view of several dozen of the small ships coming in as quickly as their engines could manage.

"Word must be out. The Fallen on the ground are firing everything they've got at us, but it's nothing that will damage the hull. Those skiffs on the other hand..." mused Glitch.

"Remove them from my sky!" she commanded with a wave of her hand.

"Love to. Problem is we're already occupied hacking and controlling a few other major systems. As it's only the three of us doing all the work, adding one more high-priority system to break into and use probably isn't the best idea." suggested Glitch. While the Ghost's tone the Titan, the advice was sound.

"Spinning up FTL. We can jump to just outside the city's defense lines." said Wisp, bringing up hyperspace telemetry readings in order to solve the equations that make it possible to move matter without moving it. Squire took over the other systems while Glitch assisted Wisp in controlling the technology that would rip a hole in spacetime. Generators came to life and engines whined as the universe swallowed the ketch up here and spit it out there.


	12. Act03 Chapter12 – Spoils of War

__Earth___  
><em>__The City___  
><em>__Office of Vanguard Commander Zavala Tzu__

It was weeks since the ketch ship of the Fallen House of Winter appeared in a violet flash mere kilometers from the outermost defense posts of the City. Alarms were sounded and alert responses initiated as they should, but before intercept fighters could make it to the target, their mission had changed from destroy to protect and escort. Vanguard command managed to pull a few strings with the Consensus Council and arranged for the ship to anchor itself safely behind the defensive walls. Work quickly began to convert the "Exodus Blue" Crucible site into a drydock for the massive vessel, causing Lord Shaxx to moan and grumble for some time after.

Commander Tzu sat behind a large display in his office. The space was deep within the bowels of the Tower and some distance underground. It was a large but spartan place, with everything having a place and function. Telemica wondered if his quarters were similarly utilitarian as she quickly went over the latest reports from the crews.

"We're still downloading and decrypting the main computer systems for analysis, but just the hardware and materials alone makes this one of the biggest enemy asset acquisitions in recent memory. There's enough raw materials here to do a lot of good for the City's growth, enough weapons and vehicles to keep many Guardians well-equipped, and enough sensitive tech and data to keep the Cryptarchs intrigued. Fine work." noted Zavala as he reviewed the same reports. He never actually looked at Telemica, but knew she was incredibly pleased with the results of her insane mission.

"Thank you, sir." She said in as formal and calm a tone as she could manage. There were a few twinges of pain still left in her body from being crushed under the weight of the massive Fallen Kell, but they only reminded her of the glory.

"We should go." noted the Commander as his Ghost whispered directly into his mind. He stood from behind his desk in full formal uniform and motioned for the formal-clad Telemica to follow him. They left the office and routed their way through corridors and up lifts to arrive on a secure open-air landing pad several stories below the Tower plaza. The area was used to receive dignitaries and other VIPs. It was cleaner and more decorative than the pads used by the normal traffic, showing off the scale of the Tower and the majesty of the Traveler.

By the time Zavala and Telemica arrived on the pad, the other Vanguard leaders and the rest of fireteam Warden were already there and in similar garb. While the two Titans displayed their military history through their strict and formal uniforms, the others did not. Solas and Ikora wore ornate robes covered in intricate holographics that changed and morphed based on a variety of inputs and sensora. Meanwhile, the only difference in what Cayde and Vatyr wore was the ceremonial dirks and sheaths that hung at their sides. The two Titans joined their comrades and also passed a number of armed guards who were sticking close to a secure container several meters in size.

Minutes passed before the guest's ship came into view, along with a full two squadrons of escort. It was obviously designed to be an armoured personnel carrier, but its violet and gold trappings showed that it was modified for royal use. While some of the escorts took up holding patterns alongside Tower security forces, others hovered near the pad as the AVIPC landed and revealed its passengers.

The Vanguard leaders approached as the Awoken queen, her brother and a pair of guards waited at the bottom of the ship's steps. The fireteam couldn't head anything that was being said so far away. Telemica was rigid at full attention and Solas seemed to have his mind elsewhere, but Vatyr was good enough at reading lips to catch some stuff and put the discussion together himself.

_Pleasantries. Formal greetings. Blah._

_What gift?_

_They've mentioned us. He's not interested at all but she... she loves a good and bloody story. She always did._

_I wonder what this is all about..._

Cayde motioned to the guards at the rear, who slowly escorted the container towards the ship on an anti-grav platform. The two Awoken guards met them halfway and scanned the container vigorously for what seemed like ages.

Vatyr wondered What could be within as his eyes went back to the visitors and found while the vaunted Master of Crows was intent on the container alone, the queen's gaze was focused entirely on Vatyr.

_No._

The slightest of grins appeared on her face.

_I'm not that anymore._

Her eyes penetrating him. Ever the prey on her hunt.

_I can't be that anymore. I..._

The Awoken guards had finished scanning the container at some point and relieved the Tower guards of their burden, escorting the container passed the dignitaries and on to the ship. The queen's gaze left Vatyr with satisfaction and almost ignored the gift, as if she'd already accomplished what she set out to do. No further talk was apparently necessary as the royals boarded the carrier right behind the container and departed with their escort, no doubt headed back to the Reef.

"Vatyr, you are sweating." mentioned Solas without looking directly at him, not that he ever had to.

"It's hot. I'm hot. Isn't it hot?" said Vatyr in an obvious excuse, almost stammering in defense. "So what was in the container?"

"The Winter ketch's jump drive core. Such intricate Golden Age marvels are nearly impossible for us to recreate and are priceless to the Awoken. No doubt it was gifted in the hopes of strengthening diplomatic ties." said the Exo in a slightly bored tone before wandering off.

Zavala and Ikora were debriefing the guards as Telemica hung around, no doubt expecting the guards would immediately want to hear of her latest adventure and she was all too eager to spin the embellished tale.

"You doin alright?" asked Cayde as he wandered towards Vatyr.

"Yeah. I wish you had warned me that they would be here."

"Sorry. Operational security. Did she-"

"Yeah..." Vatyr said, defeated as he slowly wandered back into the Tower, melting into the normal hustle of the place like a sound that unearths a dark memory.


	13. Act04 Chapter13 – Desert Creatures

__Mars___  
><em>__The Black Garden__

It was a rare occurrence when Vatyr found it difficult to believe what he was seeing. He'd read the reports of this place, of course. He knew about the Vex and how the Traveler had supposedly trapped them here in a pocket of spacetime, along with a piece of the Darkness itself. He knew about the brave guardians who dared to break in and slay the "heart" of Darkness that the Vex worshiped. Still, for a place of such evil, it was amazingly beautiful and alive.

Massive corridors of synthstone still coursed with Vex energy. Lush flora grew everywhere, providing a living snapshot of the Martian ecosystem that was being encouraged during the Golden Age. Bioengineered flowers with blood-red petals must have been a common sight in Freehold gardens before the Collapse, but without humanity to nurture the changing global ecosystem, Mars returned to the sand.

Ever since the Garden was freed, teams of scientists had taken up residence within its walls, attempting to unlock its secrets. Fireteam Warden was on-site as part of a bolstering of military security, courtesy of the Tower. Fireteams would shift in and out, making sure the remaining Vex presence didn't become a problem for the expedition. So far it had been going rather well.

Vatyr had taken up a well-used sniper perch while he listened to chatter and gazed at the beauty of his surroundings. It was rare for him to be so relaxed while operating in a combat zone. Solas was off assisting the group of scientists tasked with surveying the shrine where the heart of Darkness once resided.

Telemica was called away several hours ago and seemed far too rushed to explain what was going on. Vatyr didn't even consider how long she was gone until she opened up comms with the rest of Warden on a secure channel.

"We have a big problem."

"Nice to see you too." quipped Vatyr at the video link of Telemica in her ship's cockpit.

"The Cabal are coming." stated Solas so dryly it was as if he was stating that the Sun was hot.

"How did you-? Yeah. Cabal. Scouts have been tracking increased activity for some time now, as well as changes in the Exclusion Zone satellite network. We thought it was a response to the increased guardian presence of the last few months but a few hours ago we caught a huge spike in activity. Sats we thought were going one way darted off in another and-" Telemica took a half-breath, knowing her team could piece together the rest.

"They're taking the Garden from us." said Solas with a hint of sadness.

"The interference lattice is already coalescing around you. Normal communications are already dead and all our orbital assets are either dead, blind or getting extracted. The only way I'm getting through is Ghost-to-Ghost quantum entanglement, but that only gives us a minute at most. The bulk of the Blind Legion is coming and will have their main Imperial lad tank on top of you in a little over one hour. I'm just ahead of them and burning hard on a suborbital apogee. You two need to evacuate everyone and everything you can." Telemica commanded as her signal began to devolve into static. "We've got forces and transports on the way but the Cabal will get there first! MOVE!"

The last command was mostly eaten by static as the line went dead and a rumble from above.


	14. Act04 Chapter14 – Death From Above

__Mars___  
><em>__The Black Garden___  
><em>__50 minutes Later__

Unlike Fallen houses that often warred against each other, Cabal formations are all served the same empire. While their specializations and differing missions gave the impression that they were isolated from each other, you need only give them a target big enough to know your dire error.

50 minutes ago, the entirety of the Black Garden expedition was beginning to evacuate . Vatyr was just greenlighting the first transports to lift off when dozens of hypersonic booms shattered the sky. Leaving quickly and while under fire was always something the scientists and soldiers had in the back of their head and were prepped to do, but they probably didn't expect to be doing it while the sky was falling.

Siege Dancer orbital drop pods descended well beyond terminal velocity thanks to heavy heat shielding, acceleration thrusters (as opposed to the deceleration thrusters one would sanely expect) and fanatical soldiers inside. The jet-black pods slammed into the ground and walls within the Black Garden, incinerating some and burying others under synthstone debris. Almost all of the Cabal survived, much to Vatyr's surprise, and were all too eager to climb out of their metal tombs and kill anything that was not one of them.

Shock and awe. That's all Vatyr could think of as he loaded another magazine into his scout rifle. Hunkering down behind a chunk of broken wall, he tried not to be too impressed with the creatures trying to blow him up with volleys of micro-RPGs.

They may have had the element of surprise, but it's difficult to surprise a group of super-powered soldiers that have all died a few times. Guardians engaged the Cabal shock troops head-on, allowing the regular military forces to extract what scientists and equipment remained. Fireteams worked together to isolate the hulking aliens and create avenues of escape to reach the transports in other sections of the garden.

A pair of warlocks slowly advanced, wreathed in solar light and lashing at the heavy shields of the Cabal intruders with solar flares. Long whips of plasma extended punishment with sweeping waves of their hands, cutting their foes to ribbons. A small group of hunters took up residence within a small cave in a high moss-covered wall, firing sniper rounds and tossing out swarm grenades to keep the Cabal harassed.

More booms from above. Another wave. More shooting stars bringing fire and death. Their landings obliterated whatever was in their way, friend or foe. A mighty titan thought he was protected under his dome of void light, and probably didn't have time to feel regret as the defense or his armour barely slowed the incoming projectile. A Cabal colossus roared as he poured death into the hunter's cave with his heavy slug thrower.

Vatyr could see the last transport lift off once the drop pods subsided. As he signaled for the other guardians to take up more defensive positions and dig in, cannons thundered from over the high ridge behind him, sending huge tracers along the bow of the last personnel carrier. Shields buckled and armour sizzled but the the pilot at the stick kept his head, pulling the ship away from the anti-aircraft fire.

Jumping to a higher perch, Vatyr could just make out where the shots came from. The Blind Legion imperial land tank had arrived. No reinforcements would make it through now.

"Sorry I am late. We ran into some Vex along the way and had to take an alternative route. The crew I was guarding was on that last transport." spoke Solas over comms. Vatyr turned around just in time to see a massive void light explosion rip apart a handful of Cabal soldiers molecule by molecule. "Sitrep."

"The main Cabal force is here! Where's Telemica?" asked Vatyr as he scanned the skies.

"We will have to locate her later. For now we have to take control of the situation."

Vatyr made it to ground and cut a path to Solas. "Take control? The Black Garden is lost to us, Solas. We have to get everyone out of here! We can't hold against a land tank and a few thousand elite Cabal soldiers!"

With the processing speed of an Exo and the unfathomable depths of a warlock, Solas' mind quickly assessed the situation. The rolling superfortress was an extinction-level weapon in its own right and would be fully on top of them in minutes, not to mention the dozens of other armoured assets and most of the Blind Legion, one of the most dangerous Cabal formations. There were only around 20 guardians in the garden with no anti-armour backup, and were having enough trouble with a few dozen Siege Dancers. "You're right."

He tied into the communication frequency that all the local guardians were using. "Break Break Break. Guardians, I am Solas-3. I am assuming command of this operational theatre under authority code TYR and initiating a code BLACK planetary evac order. I'm transmitting a map to all Ghosts. Encryption Aleph-1056. Decrypt for fortified escape routes accessible on foot. Evacuate the Black Garden. I repeat, evacuate the Black Garden. Get outside the new exclusion zone and return to Tower for debrief. Immediate action on receipt. I will take full responsibility."

Solas received pings of compliance from every guardian on the channel as they made their way to several uncovered passageways that will leads them out of the danger zone. Most ghosts were rescued to later revive their charges, but a few were lost to Cabal bombardment.

In the middle of the endless Martian desert, Telemica was a still, crumpled mess.

The land tank had used a repositioned exclusion satellite to triangulate her flight path and shoot her down. She'd barely managed to keep her shattered craft together, but the ship desintrigrated in the crash and she was thrown into the side of a dune like a ragdoll, knocking her unconscious and pulverizing her body.

Squire built an anti-grav stretcher out of the ship's remains as quickly as possible, took over Telemica's armour controls and slowly got her on to the rig so he could get her clear, using the last of life-support armour's systems to keep her alive. After finding a cave for shelter, he sent out a coded distress beacon and worried himself sick over his injured guardian through the night before help arrived.


	15. Act04 Chapter15 – Consequences

__Earth___  
><em>__The Tower__

Solas stood oddly rigid at the foot of a long holo-glass meeting table. The room was mostly empty except for the table at the centre of the room, 12 simple plastic chairs around it, and a few monitors on the three otherwise stark walls. The fourth wall along the long side of the table was a window which looked out over the city. Ikora Rey peered out through the window while Zavala Tzu gave Solas a full dressing down.

"In all my years of command I've never seen such an astounding disregard for objectives. Your mission was to protect the assets! Scientists and site. Now all we have to show for all those months of work are bodies to bury, lost guardians and perhaps the most important location on Mars just handed over to the Cabal!

"Sir." Solas said. Ikora was not sure if he was agreeing, trying to interject something or simply proving he was still listening. The last option put a bit of a grin on her face, which grew ever so slightly each time he said it.

"Do you have any idea what you simply handed to the enemy? I sure don't, because all of our best minds were still trying to crack the place!" Zavala growled. Commander Tzu was a lion. Normally a calm and collected creature, its roar put a primal fear into most beings that prized their own survival.

"Sir." Solas wondered if Cayde was similarly laying into Vatyr or if they were just sharing drinks and stories again.

"We're still picking up stray guardians from the surface as they pop up, and each time we have to engage the Cabal inside a new exclusion zone that we have yet to crack. You're the one who told them to scatter and fend for themselves. Do you think that was a good call? Do you think that puts us in a good position? We're still cleaning up your mess days later, warlock!"

"Sir." Solas hadn't heard about Telemica surfacing yet, but he'd been in debrief almost the entire time.

Zavala slammed his fist hard on the table. In front of him were reports depicting the details of the defeat. Before he could continue, a message popped up on the glass just under his still-clenched fist. The commander audible deep breath and got up. "They've found Telemica. She's in critical but Squire kept her alive." he said to neither warlock in particular before exiting the room.

Solas' stance relaxed an almost imperceptible degree at the news. The warlock pair let the news hang in the air for a few minutes, neither moving, neither needing to.

"Even if she died, Squire would have been able to recreate her." Solas noted.

"Titans see death as equal parts insult and defeat. Pulling back from the brink of death is an important state of being for them. It shows their tenacity. Their elan." Ikora said as Solas joined her for the view. "You did the right thing, my friend, and in the right way. Zavala knows that, but when control of the situation breaks down so much and so quickly, he sees it as a personal failure. When the exclusion zone shifted and cut him out of contact from what he knew would be a dire situation... He's not angry at you so much as he's angry at himself."

"Suspension." Solas said. He didn't have eyes, but Ikora knew him well enough to knew he was looking far below at the life down on the street. He was looking at the reason for his existence.

"Yes. Fireteam Warden is suspended pending the completion of the investigation and any further reprimands or punishment, which I am sure won't be needed. Just give it a few weeks to blow over. Consider it an unscheduled sabbatical. "

Ikora put a hand on Solas' shoulder, "I'm glad you made it out, old man."


End file.
